Act now and avoid big infestations

Wednesday, 24 April 2013 13:49

Rats and mice are an inevitable part of country life. This year’s weather conditions have been particularly favourable for rodents to breed so it is likely that you will see some rodent activity on your farm in the coming months

Rat and mouse infestations can develop very rapidly. Female rats will on average carry five litters a year with an average of around eight pups per litter which, in ideal conditions, can reach sexual maturity themselves in just five to six weeks. House mice reproduce at a similar rate, though as the name suggests live indoors so may have more favourable conditions to increase their numbers more readily. It is easy to see therefore how numbers can very easily escalate to problem levels.“When an infestation is identified it is important to act quickly,” explains Nic Blaszkowicz, sales and marketing manager, PelGar International. “It is so much easier to get rid of a small infestation than it is a plague. Rats and mice will not only feed on and contaminate grain in grain stores, but they can also cause considerable damage in buildings and spread disease. While sometimes using of rodenticides is a daunting proposition, it is often the most effective route to control. Not only that but it is relatively simple and more cost effective to do yourself. Act quickly and most small infestations can be cleared up in just a few weeks.”Once you have managed to get rid of an infestation there are a few steps that can be taken to make the environment less attractive and accessible to rodents and reduce the risk of a new population of rats coming in. Clear away rubbish, empty feed sacks and stored goods from the side of buildings as this will help to limit the places rats and mice like to travel and live. Keep the farmyard tidy and protect food stores by sealing the bottom of wooden doors with metal strips and fixing entry holes and broken pipes which might allow rodent access. Limiting the amount of free water by turning off taps and fixing leaks will also help. Taking these steps will not necessarily keep rodents away for good, but it will help to reduce the scale of infestations and allow you to identify problems more quickly and deal with them more efficiently.For further information on steps that can be taken for successful rodent control contact PelGar for a copy of their DVD email: [email protected] or view on YouTube and search ‘PelGar’.

About Us

PelGar International was incorporated in 1995 to develop and supply innovative and novel rodenticide and insecticide products to the global public health pesticide market. PelGar believes that, while the active ingredients used in the industry are common, the target pests and the environment in which they live are very different. Providing cost effective control therefore means that the active substance needs to be available in a wide range of formulations and this is where PelGar’s expertise lies.